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Walking in Lesvos

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Landscapes of LESVOS: walks and car tours

by Brian and Eileen Anderson

An excellent guide – Walking in Lesvos was the first of the Sunflower guides I bought (I have since bought several more) and it really made a difference to my holiday in Lesvos. My husband and I did not hire a car on this trip, so we only used the walks but they were fabulous walks, taking in the whole variety of Lesvos scenery, off the beaten track but not difficult to get to, very well described in terms of geographical features along the way (so you don’t get lost), fitness level required and duration of walk. I now buy Sunflower guides for every holiday. (M.Kendrick, Amazon)

The drives and walks in the guide are very detailed and full of interesting and useful information regarding the landscape, buildings, where to stop for picnics and good swimming spots. Even without a car you will be able to get to Mytilene, the capital, by bus and do the Mytilene town walk and some of the museums. We did car tours 2 and 4 and enjoyed them both immensely. Skala Simanimias was particularly charming. The walks using 'kalderimi' (old donkey paths) are especially atmospheric. As usual the guide is very reliable. (H.Hogg, Amazon)

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Lesvos (often called Lesbos, but the island authorities say the correct name is Lesvos) has been written by Brian and Eileen Anderson, the authors of several other books in the Landscapes series.

A wonderful walking and bird-watching destination in the Mediterranean, Lesvos offers a stunning combination of natural and man-made landscapes to enjoy on foot or by car. It is a treasure house of very early ancient remains dating from the 7th century BC and boasts one of the finest natural monuments in Europe, the Petrified Forest, created 20 million years ago.

Cloaked with forests of chestnut and oak, the island becomes a riot of flowers in the spring and is renowned for its wild orchids (as many as 65 species) and with its own special endemic, Ophrys lesbis.

The island’s hills and mountains are riddled with little known ancient trails and cobbled donkey paths, many of which form the walks featured in this new guidebook. Refreshingly free of high-rise hotels and beach-orientated tourism, Lesvos is seizing an opportunity to rediscover itself through ecotourism in its totally unspoilt countryside. Fascinating sites, often unprotected, allow you to do your own interpretation. Follow the authors’ footsteps into villages still steeped in an old way of life and into a countryside as beautiful as any in the Mediterranean. The car tours, too, show off the very best the island has to offer and will take you to some secret places they have discovered.

The best months for walking in Lesvos are April, May, June, September and October.

East coast
Mytilene – a busy town with plenty of hotels, but not really a resort, and not where holidaymakers choose to stay. It is handy for people arriving and leaving by ferry or just in transit. There are three walks which can be reached using the local bus service, and there is not too much travelling to join walks in the Agiassos area.

Thermi – a small but pleasant resort just north of Mytilene town. There is one walk on the doorstep and, again, the walks around Agiassos are not so far away.

Central areaMolyvos, Petra, Anaxos – these three resorts lie close together on the north coast. Molyvos is full of character and the island’s top resort, but the other two are actually better beach resorts. There are four walks immediately to hand with minimal transport requirements. Another four are spread around the Kalloni area and are fairly handy, as are most of the other walks if you’re prepared to do a little more travelling.

Skala Kallonis – located at the head of the Gulf of Kalloni, this is just about the most centrally placed resort on the island. There are four walks available within a reasonably short distance and good access to most of the other walks.

Vatera – this south coast resort lies close to the mouth of the Gulf of Kalloni. It is best-known for its miles of beach and has two walks actually starting out from the beach. There is another walk close by and it has good access to the Agiassos walks, those from Melinda and those around Kalloni. Other walks are a little further afield, but still easily managed.

Ag Isidoros – another south coast resort, but lying east of Vatera. The Melinda walks are not too far away, and the Agiassos walks are reasonably available. Otherwise there is a fair bit of travelling from this resort.

West
Sigri and Skala Eressou – these two resorts are tucked away in the far west of the island. But this side of the island is fairly remote from the bulk of the walks and the least convenient place to stay. There is just one walk which is close by and after that there is over an hour’s driving to get to next nearest group of walks, so we recommend staying on the east coast or in the central area.

Updates for walks and car tours (drives) on Lesvos given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book you can “upgrade” to the latest edition at half price.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably by e-mail, to info@sunflowerbooks.co.uk.

General: TAXISThe fact that there are no trams, trains or metro on Lesvos, make taxis convenient for people/tourists to use. Many people want to use taxis on Lesvos but unfortunately there is insufficient information about taxi fare prices, airport/port transfers, excursions, payments and emergency service on the internet, that’s why they hesitate to use them. Therefore we kindly ask you to place our taxi website somewhere where it can be easily seen and found on your Lesvos page. We have been in business since 1997. Please visit our website at www.lesvostaxiservice.webs.com so you can see what we mean, we provide all the information needed for taxi services on Lesvos.